Alameda County charges man with Berkeley attempted murder
Surveillance video captured victim begging attacker by name to stop.
The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office charged a man last week with attempted murder with multiple special allegations and assault with a deadly weapon after the beating of a man with a metal baseball bat, authorities said.
In a statement, Berkeley police said the victim was standing outside a recreational vehicle on Eighth Street between Gilman and Harrison streets just before 8 p.m. on Sept. 2 when another man, identified as Dennis Daniels, 51, approached him and began a conversation.
Soon after, the victim walked away to get an item from the RV. Daniels then allegedly walked up behind the man, hit him in his head with a metal bat, followed with at least 10 more strikes with the bat before leaving the area after others noticed the attack.
According to a Berkeley police officer’s statement in charging documents, surveillance-camera video captured the victim screaming “please, please, please stop,” begging Daniels by name.
The victim, who suffered injuries to his head, back, arms and legs, was taken to a hospital for treatment for a head laceration, a fractured left arm and abrasions to his right leg.
Around 8:15 a.m. on Sept. 3, officers found and detained Daniels in an encampment under the Gilman Street overpass, and arrested him on suspicion of attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon. The victim was able to identify Daniels through a photo lineup, police said.
Daniels, who is on probation, has multiple prior convictions for assault by means likely to inflict great bodily injury, assault with a deadly weapon, corporal injury on a child, child endangerment, second-degree robbery and sale or transportation of marijuana.
He was held Tuesday without bail at Santa Rita Jail and faces a Sept. 23 plea hearing at Dublin’s East County Hall of Justice, according to a county records check.
Contact George Kelly at 408-859-5180.